Regressing
by Out-of-Character217
Summary: Cloud builds a blanket fort. Leon isn't impressed. At least, not at first. - An ask!prompt from my ask box over on Tumblr.


**Regressing**

"Is Sora back or something?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow as he stood in the doorway and took in the state of the living room.

Cloud's head popped out of the makeshift tent, pegged precariously between the two couches, and looked up at the older man.

"No. Why'd you ask?"

Leon made a vague gesture with his hand before folding his arms across his chest and stared pointedly at his lover.

"You appear to be regressing."

"It's a fort," Cloud explained, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

"I can see that," Leon replied leaning up against the doorframe, "Why is it in our living room?"

"Where else would it be?" Cloud asked, a look of bemusement on his face as he adjusted the bottom corner and pegged it down tighter. The space between the two couches was obscured by a large swathe of sheet, and inside, Leon could just make out a mound of cushions and pillows and even a throw, "You never used to make blanket forts as a kid?"

The question seemed to darken Leon's mood as Cloud recognised that thunderous frown, and he watched as his lover looked away in thought, his jaw clenched down hard as he seemed to be far away in his head for a moment, before he came back and glared sharply at the blond.

"No, not really."

Leon pushed of the doorframe and turned away into the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder in a tone that Cloud could have sworn was almost irksome.

"I'm going to Cid's; we need parts for the new generator."

Seconds later he heard the back door slam and then silence as the blond was left alone in the house. Cloud snorted and rolled his eyes, shrugging off the brunet's mood and crawled back inside.

Two hours later, Leon returned to find that his lover was still where he'd left him. He came to a stop outside the fort, and Cloud who was lying on his back, looked up to see a pair of upside down, leather clad legs obscuring the view.

"Find what you were looking for?" he asked, resting the magazine he'd been reading on his stomach. Leon crouched down and peered inside.

"Are you going to stay in there all day?"

"Maybe," Cloud shrugged with a soft smile, "You should try it."

"I'm not five anymore, Cloud."

"I know that, just try it with me," the blond replied reaching his arm out to tug at the bottom of Leon's trousers.

The gunblader sighed and rolled his eyes, but a moment later he was wiggling his way inside, ducking his head and twisting his shoulders to lie down and rest on Cloud's stomach. He lay there for a while, staring up at the underside of the sheet above them and felt the slow and regular breathing of the body beneath him. He was too tall for the small fort, and his legs stuck out the side of it, but all in all he conceded with a reluctant sigh that the cosy tent was kind of nice.

"See, told you," Cloud's voice rumbled softly, a hand coming to play gently through his bangs.

"Whatever. It's alright, I guess."

They were both quiet for a time, Leon's eyes slowly drifting closed as he relaxed and let his mind amble to the edge of sleep, when Cloud's voice broke through his thoughts.

"I can't believe you never did this when you were a kid."

Leon's eyes slid open and he stared up at the sheet, his mind drifting back to a childhood filled with loneliness, and waiting and then eventually, hardened resolve. There had been tent building, but that was survival training. There had been camp fires, but there had been no ghost stories or roasted marshmallows. Instead there had been ration packs and patrol duty.

"Not much time for kid's stuff when you're training to be a mercenary," Leon explained simply, frowning slightly.

Cloud lifted his head and looked down at his lover, his hand stilling in the soft brown locks and his thumb gently stroked Leon's forehead. It was easy to forget just how shitty Leon's childhood had been; he hardly spoke about it. At the very least, Cloud had had a mother, and he'd had Tifa, and maybe some semblance of carefree normalcy. Cloud rested his head back against the cushion, and felt bad that he really didn't have anything helpful to say. Instead he reached down beside him and pulled out a bag of snacks and the book Leon had been reading.

"I bought supplies," he said instead, placing them next to his lover.

The gesture seemed to break whatever dark cloud of memories had invaded Leon's mind, and he smiled as he picked up his book.

"Looks like we're here for the long haul," he said.

Cloud shrugged, "You got somewhere more important you need to be?"

Leon thought of the generator and the unfinished causeway and the drainage system still backed up; the countless houses that needed repairs and the defence system that was still a bit glitchy, and with a soft sigh he opened his book and burrowed his shoulders a little deeper into the cushions beneath him.

"No, not really."


End file.
